Switch lock



Feb. 16, 1932. w. J. SUTHERLANb 4 1,845,360

SWITCH LOCK Filed July 8, 1929 Patented Feb. 16, 1932 OFFICE.

' '1 with J; stirnERLA-Nn, or iannronn, VIRGINIA j swrrcn: izocx j ij pplic atienffiled July s, 1929. serial no. s7s,71 4.

vThis invention pertains to railway switches and has as its principal object toprovide a lockfor securing a switch point in place.

7 A further object of the invention isto pro- .5 vide a lock which will secure a switch'point in the closed position, even though thesw itchstand or its appurtenances whichare used for this purpose become' nope'rative for any reason whatever.

'10 A still furtherobjeet of the i'nvention is to 'provide'a lock consisting ofa small number of simple parts which may be readily applied to' any of 'the conventional type switches which are alreadyinv service.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my switch lock applied to a switch point,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of my switch lock. p

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sec.- 29 tion through the switch lock proper, the lock being in the closed position, and Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section through-the switch lock proper showing the lock inthe opened position.

5 Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view.

taken on line 55 of Figure 2." I

In the drawings the stock or running rail 1 is mounted on and secured to the crossties and switch ties 2 in the usual'manner. The

switch point 3 is shown in the closed position moved from an open to a closed position and Vice versa, have been omitted from the drawings for the purposeof more clearly showing the switch lock in position.

My switch lock proper consists of casing 5,

having a removable cover 6, held in position by means of the screw 7 The casing 5 is recessed at 8 to conform snugly to the'contour of the flange of the rail 1. Secured to or i made integral with the casing 5 is the plate 9 having through it the openings 10. a After the switch lock has been placed in position with the recessedportion 8 of the casing 5 fitting snugly against the flange of the rail 1, spikes are driven through the openings 10 of the plate 9into the'headblock 11; Thus the switch lock is secured in a fixed position relative' to the rail 1. The rail 1 is secured by means of spikes tothe headblock 11 as well as to the crossties and switch ties 2.

' Positioned within the casing 5 is an adj ustv able carrier 12 having'elongated openings '13 in. the opposite walls thereof. Disposed within elongated openings '13 are bolts 14 passing fromjside wall to side wall ofthe casing 5 andsecured therein. Said bolts '14 being smaller in diameter than the widthof the openings13 permit the carrier 12 toibemeted,transversely relative to-therail'l.

' 'Journaled at oneiend of the carrier 12in the opposite walls thereofis. the stop 15. h At :the' other end of the carrier 12 andn'1'a'de in-l tegral with the side wallsthereofis the 'adf' justing rod 16, which together with the nuts;

1'?" andlock washers I18--p sit-ion the carrier. 12 withinthe'casing 5iy Disposed below the carrier '12 'and resting- -on the bottom or the casing 5 is the plunger 19 whichis-integral with the rod 20. 'One end oftheplunger 19 engages the 'bottomof the stop 15. Positioned between the other end of the plunger 19 anclthe end wall of the casing 5' is the spring 21, enveloping the rod I 'The rod 20is secured by means of the aw connection 22 to one end of the rod '23, the

other end of said rod 23 being secured toone arm of the bell crank 24. Bellcrank 24 is journaled by means of the caps 25 to the plate 26 which is; secured to the headblock 11 by means ofspikes through the openings '27,

The other e'ndof the *bell" crank p o-i vided with treadpedal28.

Z -The operation oftheswitch lock isas'fo1- lows: Whenthe switch point Sis in thefclos'ed 7 position as shownin Figures 1 and 3Qthe spring 21'," which surrounds the rod i2U and which is disposed*between"gt l1e end of the plunger lf and the end of the casing=5 ,-urges the plunger; 19 forward underthe stop "15.

.The plunger 19 engaging the bottom of the p i i stop '15jraisespthe same to the'locking posi- 1 o tion as shown in Figures 1 and 3. In this position the stop 15 engaging switch point 3 holds it securely against the rail 1.

Before the switch can be opened, which opening consists of moving the switch point 3away from the rail 1 by means of the operating mechanism in the switch stand l and the necessary connecting rods, it is necessary to depress the tread pedal 28. The downward movement of the tread pedal imparts a backward movement tot-herods 201and23 through the bell crank 24:. Rod 20 being integral with the plunger 19 imparts a backward movement to the plunger 19, compressing the spring 21. As the'plunger 19 moves backward, the stop 15 drops by gravity away from the switch point 3.

7 As soon as the depression of the tread pedal 28 is sufiicient to cause the stop 15 to clear the switchpoint 3, the switch may be opened bv meansof the switch stand.

{It will be readily seen that when pressure is removed from the tread pedal 28 the plunger 19 being urged forwardly by the' 3 spring '21 wille'xert pressure on the bottom ofstop urging it toa position shown in 1 the rail 1, the carrier 12 may be moved trans- Figure 3. The upward movement ofthe stop 15, however, is arrested by the switch point 3. As soon as the switch point is closed by means of the switch stand and its V appurtenances, the stop 15 is moved to the locking position as shown in Figure 3, and will remain in this position until the plunger 19 is retracted by means of pressure on the tread pedal 28.

VVl-ien thelock is applied to a switch point, therelative position of the stop 15 withrefer- 'ence to the switch point 3 may be adjusted 1acasin ,ansadjustable Icar'rier mounted therein, a stop journal-ed inone end of said car- *rier, afplunger engaging the bottom of said stop, spring means urging said plunger to position said stop in a locking position, and additional means for retracting saidplunger against said spring means, permitting said stop to move by gravity .to a non-lockingpositionw H V V,

4. A railway switch point lock comprising a .casing, an adjustable carrier, a stop jour naled in said carrier, a plunger-engaging said stop, spring means urging said plunger to position said stop against a switch point when said switch point has cleared-topof said stop, andadditional means for retracting said plunger, permitting said stop to-move by gravity away from said switch point. I

WI LLI'A M J. SUTHEBLAND.

as desired by means of theadjusting nuts 17, c

If in the locking position the stop 15 does not securely engage the ,pointB, holding it against versely by means of the adjusting nuts 17 Thusa fine-adj ustment of the stop 15 may be obtained relative to the switch point 3.

Normally, a switchman coming to the switch stand 4. for the purpose of opening the switch will first place his foot on the tread pedal 28, depressing same, which in turn will disengage stop 15 from the switch point 3. He'can then open the switch by means of the switch stand and its appurtenances.

As long as the switch stand is open, the stop is ina, non-locking position as shownin Figure 4. However, as soon as the switch is closed and pressure removed from tread pedal28, the stop 15 will nove into the locking 

